


Lavender's Blue, Dilly Dilly, Lavender's Green

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Asperger Syndrome, Character suffers from PTSD, Cinderella Elements, Disabled Character, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Gen, Gipsy Danger is a Dog, M/M, Mako Mori Fixes Things, Multi, Richard Becket's A+ Parenting, everyone's a dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-06
Packaged: 2018-05-17 06:41:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5858341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raleigh Becket loves to clean, do laundry and... well, sing.</p><p>Chuck Hansen is a ruthless CEO who hates people in his sparkling clean flat.</p><p>It's when the cleaning service Chuck hires screws up his place that he looks into hiring a new one. LOCCENT Laundry Services and a canceled meeting bring together two lonely souls.</p><p>AKA the Maid in Manhattan/Cinderella AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lavender's Blue, Dilly Dilly, Lavender's Green

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BorrowedBlueBox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BorrowedBlueBox/gifts), [caelestys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/caelestys/gifts).



> Oh gosh, I have been posting everything _but_ PacRim in the past month! So, as an apology, here you go. 
> 
> This was tough going the last couple thousand words because I have tennis elbow. 
> 
> (Tennis elbow is annoying and painful all in one go. Please, please, stretch your tendons before you write, crochet, anything that uses your first two fingers and thumb. If the front of your elbow hurts, **_stop doing whatever you're doing_**. Your tendons are screaming at you.) 
> 
> That being said, I am glad this is leaving my WIP pile. It sat there for a long while. 
> 
>  
> 
> _Fic Note: I'm not an Aussie-slang expert but I tried._
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

Raleigh's favorite Disney Princess, without rival nor tie, was Cinderella. If asked, he'll deflect with other Princesses but... Ella was his favorite for more than one reason. She cleaned, she cooked and did laundry all with a smile and a song.

Raleigh's sperm-donor hated Cinderella, hated Disney, hated, well, _everything_. Alcohol poisoning took him away from Yancy, Raleigh and Jazmine but the damage was done. Raleigh never sang in front of people that weren't his siblings. He got good at cleaning things for other people in the foster homes they landed in.

Cue one Tendo Choi and a service that had been on the rocks during the ecomonic crash. Raleigh had applied to eight different jobs before he got the call.

"Please tell me you're available in ten minutes?" came the desperate plea.

"In my cleaning outfit or my interview attire?" Raleigh asked prudently and the man on the other end cheered.

"Cleaning, please. You're so hired. Meet me at The Shatterdome in five." Raleigh swore he heard a 'Thank you whatever deity just saved my ass.'

"Yessir." He said just before it hung up. Raleigh scooped up his cleaning supplies and his headphones, mouthing to his sister 'I got the job' before he left. Hailing a taxi was the easy part. He whistled loud enough that the flock of pigeons resting on the shitty apartment buildings burst into flight with startled noises. "The Shatterdome, please."

"You?"

"Cleaning." He pointed out at the skeptical look of the driver, knowing very well that his sweater didn't inspire much credibility.

"Oh, boy, you sure you want to? You hear about that fiasco that one of the cleaning personnel slept around with people in the CEO of Eureka Industries' bed?"

"Eww. No. Poor CEO." He murmured as they zipped through traffic to see Mr. Choi pacing in front of the building. "Mr. Choi?"

"You're Becket?" The assessing gaze raked over his frame and noticed the grip he had on his supplies.

"Yessir." He smiled brightly and got a slightly strangle laugh in reply. "Ready when you are."

* * *

Cleaning The Shatterdome pentsuite that belonged to one CEO Hansen was Raleigh's only job. He'd apparently done such an excellent job that even UV showed no trace that he'd been there aside from the natural supplies he used. He toed off his boots at the entrance and bagged them, hanging the plastic from the coat hook before padding with socked feet through the space to make sure there was no one else.

Mr. Hansen wanted his cleaner there by ten and gone by six in the evening. Raleigh cleaned six days a week with holidays off and was paid rather handsomely for his hard work. Best of all... It was something he loved doing.

He started from the inside out, dusting first and then following it with a thorough cleaning of all the sleek counters and bookshelves. Raleigh perused the titles with his eyes and smiled at some of the books as they matched some of his more-battered ones at home.

It moved to vacuuming all the carpets with a minimal noise vacuum that steamed as it cleaned, leaving the carpets a pristine silver and gold. Raleigh hummed under his breath as he worked with a small smile on his lips. Here was where he found peace in the bustling city, the height muffling the noise of the cars and streets so that it was almost hushed.

Glancing at the clock told him it was nearly time to go, the ticking at precisely four as he sang softly,

" _Lavender's blue, dilly, dilly, lavender's green_

_When I am king, dilly, dilly, You shall be queen_

_Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so?_

_'Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so_

_Call up your men, dilly, dilly, set them to work_

_Some to the plough, dilly, dilly, some to the fork ___

_Some to make hay, dilly, dilly, some to cut corn_ —" The opening of the door had escaped him but the jangling keys and solid steps stopped his voice quicker than anything else could. Mr. Hansen wasn't supposed to be back until... Oh no. He finished up with the last window quickly, packing away his kit as he went, not looking up as he clicked the last duster into his custom holder.

"Was that you singing?" The heavy Australian accent made Raleigh look up with a nervous swallow.

"Yessir." He murmured as his gaze skittered over broad shoulders and a jaw that looked like it could cut steel before meeting the eyes of his employer. Impossibly blue eyes bored into his own, the look cool and assessing. "I'll be taking my leave now, sir, unless you need something else done before my hours are up."

Raleigh scooted around the imposing presence and was about to untie the baggie around his boots when he heard a muffled sigh, much like Mr. Hansen was wiping a hand down his face.

"Can you make a good strong coffee? I know it's not in your contract and all... I just—I need to sit with someone who isn't a back-stabbing arsehole or a brown nose suckup.” Mr. Hansen asked with an air of someone who expected to be refused. He glanced back shyly, noting the beautiful expresso machine he cleaned on a bi-weekly basis was one of the few things in the place that were actually used.

"Sure," Raleigh murmured as he redid the knot for the bag, padding down the wide shallow steps to start up the reservoir of water in the machine. He mindlessly pulled down two of the thick ceramic cups while adjusting the attatchement to pour the caffeine into both.

Raleigh foamed the milk on the steaming wand, absently cleaning it with a damp cloth to get the milk off before it dried. He shook out the milk into a wavy pattern before pulling a toothpick from the long set next to the machine to draw a swallow into the foam of each coffee (latte for Mr. Hansen, cappuccino for Raleigh). Setting it down was strangely the easiest thing he'd done all week.

"I didn't know you could do that." came Mr. Hansen's comment as he stared at his swallow.

"Mmm." He hummed as he snapped a picture of his coffee to send to Tendo later. He and Mr. Choi had become fast friends after the emergency situation of his hiring, Tendo joking that he'd been an angel sent at just the right time.

"... You shy or just not all that talkative?" Mr. Hansen asked.

"Not sure what to say, mostly," Raleigh admitted with a shrug. They couldn't have been more different; Raleigh in his knitted blue sweater and white-socked feet and Mr. Hansen in a sharp suit and black dress socks. "What does one say to an employer who asked them to stay?"

"Good point." Mr. Hansen sighed as he messed up the perfectly styled hair he had. They sat for a while and sipped coffee, the serene environment almost like a dream to Raleigh. "So... Is this your actual job or do you do this and sing?"

"Ah, no. This is my job. It's peaceful." Raleigh laughed a little at the thought of singing for a career; not that it couldn't be done, he just doubted _he_ would ever get anywhere. "Quiet, for the most part."

"Meet any logs in the toilet?" Mr. Hansen asked with a faint ghost of a smile.

"Not here. Other places? Oh yeah. People are generally about as messy as they are, with or without my help cleaning." He murmured as he swirled the remnants of his foam around his cup.

"Hmm." Mr. Hansen's brow furrowed as he opened his mouth, seemed to think better of it and closed it again.

"Go for it," Raleigh prompted, "I'll let you know if it's a no."

"Can you extend your time next week by an hour?" Mr. Hansen blurted.

"All week or...?" He nudged verbally.

"Just Tuesdays." was the reply this time.

"Like today," Raleigh asserted. "Coffee and decompression."

"You catch on pretty quick." Mr. Hansen said with a real smile this time, his eyes showing that he's only teasing.

"Uh-huh." He drained the last of the coffee, waited as Mr. Hansen did the same before he washed the cups and absently ran a thumb along the still warm ceramic with a soft smile.

When his timer went off, Raleigh's surprised to find himself disappointed that the minutes flew by so quickly.

* * *

Raleigh took the bus home, worrying at his lower lip with his teeth as he thought about Mr. Hansen's request. He'd still get paid, obviously, but it was the nature of it that made him research his employer.

Charles 'Chuck' Hansen, youngest CEO in Eureka Industries' entire history, was _**ruthless**_.

In business deals, in the courtroom if the company was dragged into the spotlight and in denying interviews that had not been triple-checked by the company. He had a rocky history with other CEOS and was often seen in the company of the owner of The Shatterdome Luxury Spaces, one Mako Mori.

Both were frighteningly intelligent, thier IQ scores high enough to raise eyebrows. They contributed dual-authored articles to scientific journals and engineering magazines. Raleigh even watched video clips of Mr. Hansen, one of them of his employer tearing into a reporter for devaluing women in the workplace and how he was working towards shattering the glass ceiling in his company. He promoted women and those who worked hard with the facts to back it up.

Eureka Industries was one of the most valued companies to come into its own in a while.

He absently chewed on a piece of bell pepper as he made dinner for his family offering Jazzy a bite of his Paprikash as mollification. Yancy was buried deep in the wiring of a computer, headphones on and tongue sticking out in concentration as he swore in French at the machine in question when it shocked him. Raleigh gently squeezed his brother's shoulder and handed over the Paprikash with rice plus thick slices of home-made bread.

Yancy turned off his music and shoved the project to the side, all three of them sitting on the slightly mangled couch that they'd rescued from an alley.

"How was work?" Jazzy asked as she shoveled food into her mouth. Raleigh's far from offended; his Paprikash just had that sort of effect on people.

He smiled at his sister fondly as he spoke about his day. "I... I met my boss. The one in The Shatterdome pentsuite."

"Oh. I thought he worked late?" Yancy asked as he tugged his headphones down around his neck, hazel eyes soft and warm.

"He does. Guess a meeting canceled or something," Raleigh shrugged as he kissed Jazzy's cheek and then Yancy's when they pressed their shoulders to his in support. "He asked me to stay."

"Past your regular time?" Yancy's tone changed, turned big brother in a flash.

"No. He said... 'I need to sit with someone who isn't a back-stabbing arsehole or a brown nose suckup.' Exact words." Raleigh explained quietly, his hands gesturing as he continued. "He looked tired."

"Cute?" His sister poked at his thigh as she finished her food.

"Jaz!" Raleigh turned pink at her question but thought about it. "Not in the traditional sense, no. I think he could be with the right person."

"What's he do?"

"CEO for Eureka Industries." He volunteered as he picked up the plates, Yancy washing them while Raleigh put them in the dish rack.

"Heard of him," Yancy commented as he dug out flour and several other ingredients for dessert. "Eureka makes the best motherboards out there. I wish I worked there."

"Why don't you?" Jazzy asked from the couch, hanging over the back of it like their adopted husky-mix, Lady Danger. Raleigh swore sometimes that Lady Danger was part cat, the way she balanced on things and intuitively knew who was coming home by the sound of the keys.

"Cause I don't have a fancy degree like you, dork." Yancy teased as he tugged on Jazzy's braided pigtails. "Eureka only takes the best."

"Apply anyway." Jazmine told him frankly. "Your other job is horrible at keeping you busy. For cripes sake, that's a twenty year old computer and you're making it run like it was built last year."

"Maybe, brat, maybe."

* * *

Between the three of them, they made enough to cover living expenses and most of Jazmine's tuition costs that couldn't be covered by FAFSA.

Raleigh had offered once to take on more shifts from LOCCENT but Yancy and Jazmine had both shut him down.

"You work too much already," came the reply. "Take your day off and do something. Talk to someone that isn't us, Tendo or the mailman."

So here he was, drinking coffee at a hipster joint Tendo recommended. Raleigh spread out on the table he was at with his yarn bag and crochet hook. It wasn't often he could do this but he savored the little stuff. It's when his fingers are tangled in yarn that someone cleared their throat next to his table. Raleigh looked up and made a very undignified squeak; standing in front of him was none other than Mako Mori.

"May I sit here? Everywhere else is taken." She asked quietly, holding up her paper cup of coffee and a thick pastry on a plate.

"Uh, sure." Raleigh pulled his yarn to one side as she gracefully slid into the seat next to him.

"What are you making?"

"Sweater." He plucked at his own, the very first of his many attempts to turn out alright. He prefered darker colors if he could get them but did enjoy a warm brown or a lighter blue if he was feeling good about the world. "My old one's starting to have holes that aren't supposed to be there."

"Ah. Do you take commissions? Asking for a friend; I need to get him something he doesn't already have." Mako smiled and Raleigh grinned back. She didn't seem so scary up close.

"Sure. I mean, not a lot of people ask but... Yeah." Raleigh admitted as he hissed at the mangled stitch. "Stupid yarn." He untangled it and redid the stitch with ease, glancing up to see a very amused Mako.

"What's the cost?"

"Uh, hold on." He set down his work and looked for his usual notebook. Raleigh pulled it out of the bag and handed it to her, not surprised when she flipped through the pages to see his other work. "See anything you like?"

"The dog pattern and the scarf," she said in agreement to his question. "Is there an advancement that I have to pay?"

"Nah. You pick out the yarn and I do it and if it's not totally up to your standards I redo it." Raleigh shrugged as he finished his first sleeve.

"Apologies. In my line of work, it's a common thing." She murmured as she finished her coffee. "Here is my business card."

Raleigh read it with a small smile.

_Mako Mori_

_Owner of Shatterdome Apartments Inc._

When he flipped it over, there was a professional email and the times she could be reached.

"Here's mine." He handed over the crafts one even though the edges were a bit foxed but it made her smile.

"Icebox Itinerary?" She hid her smile behind her hand, laughing softly.

"It started as a joke but the name stuck." A smile tugged at his lips from all the inside jokes it held. "Unique though."

"Indeed."

* * *

Raleigh had forgotten that the press followed Mako Mori everywhere; like the plague except ten times worse. 

**MYSTERIOUS NEW MAN IN MORI'S LIFE?**

**UPSET BETWEEN HANSEN AND MORI! BLOND HUNK A PROBLEM?**

**SEE THE FASHION OF MORI AND HUNK, GET IT HERE!**

He slapped a hand over his face and groaned softly as the news spiel ran again.

"Tendo, I'm calling in sick."

"You've got it. Press is parked outside of The Shatterdome," he laughed. "Only my best employee gets tangled in the affairs of the famous."

"Aww, c'mon, I had no clue they were there. I was bein' nice." Raleigh whined over the phone.

"Just kidding. You still coming in on Tuesday?"

"Yeah."

He got an email after he hung up with Tendo.

**From: MakoMori@shatterdome.hk**

**To: BecketBoy2@gmail.com**

**Subject: Apologies**

_Mr. Becket,_

_I do apologize about the press. I understand if you were unprepared for this. CEO Hansen and I do apologize._

_Sincerely,_

_Ms. Mori_

He laughed quietly, causing Lady Danger to whuffle softly.

**To: MakoMori@shatterdome.hk**

**From: BecketBoy2@gmail.com**

**RE: Apologies**

_Miss Mori (and Co.),_

_You're fine. I just have to lay low for a bit. Chill with my dog. No hardship._

_Regards,_

_Raleigh_

_Attached: Raleigh &Dog.JPEG_

Raleigh shuffled around the apartment easily as he waited for a reply. He fixed the shower curtain, did a load of laundry and watered the plants before he heard the ding again.

**From: MakoMori@shatterdome.hk**

**To: BecketBoy2@gmail.com**

**RE: RE: Apologies**

_Raleigh (and dog),_

_We've become aware that you work for CEO Hansen and are also laying low._

_M: Would you mind terribly if what we discussed remains a secret between you and I?_

_Sincerely,_

_Mori, Hansen and Max_

_Attachment: Hansen &Max.JPEG_

He snickered at the sight of Mr. Hansen cuddling a rather slobbery bulldog (Max) along with Mako.

**From: BecketBoy2@gmail.com**

**To: MakoMori@shatterdome.hk**

**Subject: Doggie Date?**

_Miss Mori (and Co.),_

_Darn. I've been found out. My dastardly plans must go to waste..._

_To M, yes. That's between us. No reason for H to know._

_Raleigh_

_P.S. Where does Max go during the day? Not @ home when I clean._

The reply was obviously taking a while so Raleigh finished puttering around the apartment, starting on his projects for Mako. Lady Danger pillowed her muzzle on his yarn-free thigh and gave a doggie sigh.

"Me too. They're kinda hilarious."

She yapped and then sniffed briefly at his knee, pressing her nose to the thick material of his sweatpants with a snort.

**From: MakoMori@shatterdome.hk, StrikerEureka@eureka.au**

**To: BecketBoy2@gmail.com**

**RE: Doggie Date?**

_Raleigh (and dog),_

_H: Max goes to my old man's place. Which, incidentally, also needs a thorough cleaning. Might even surprise him with your cleaning since he's out soon. You won't mind Max getting underfoot?_

_M: Good. Also, dastardly plans are never canceled... Only set on the back burner. Thank you._

_Mori (and Co.)_

Raleigh immediately replied to them. 

**To: MakoMori@shatterdome.hk, StrikerEureka@eureka.au**

**From: BecketBoy2@gmail.com**

**RE: RE: Doggie Dates?**

_To H, I don't mind Max being underfoot. I clean with Lady all the time. Just hope he doesn't chew on feather-dusters. :)_

_To M, back burner it is._

_Raleigh & Lady Danger_

* * *

When Raleigh arrived on Tuesday for his cleaning, Max was settled on Mr. Hansen's bed. He was greeted with a wiggling butt and slobbery dog kisses.

"Heya Max," Raleigh wiped his face off and looked at the note Max had stood up to reveal. "'Max isn't afraid of the vacuum cleaner. He'll probably lay in the bed the whole time so don't worry too much about it.' Well, alright then."

Raleigh hummed as he went through his routine with this apartment. Max, as promised, did spend most of his time in Mr. Hansen's bedroom. He dusted easily and smiled at the squeaky toys in a box that was obviously Max's. They'd been pulled out from the one closet Raleigh had not been allowed to touch. Raleigh worked around all the doggie equipment that suddenly seemed to make the place much more lived in.

It was only when Raleigh was packing up that Max barked loudly as he scrambled across the tile to wait at the door.

"Y'know Max, you're sweet enough that I might take you home to see Lady Danger," Raleigh murmured as he dug his fingers into Max's rolls to scratch at spots the dog couldn't reach. "Wonder how heavy you are." He grunted as he picked up the bulldog, the lolled tongue showing Raleigh just how much Max was enjoying the belly rub as he cradled the dog. "I bet Mr. Hansen feeds you table-scraps—"

His head shot up when someone cleared thier throat. The man looked like Mr. Hansen but was older and had a heavy presence. Max wriggled in Raleigh's arms but whined the second he made to put down the dog. "Umm... Not kidnapping the dog. I work here."

“You’d be the cleaner who doesn't mind dogs getting in the way of your cleaning, has a dog of his own and handled the media with some serious aplomb?" The man rattled off while Max slobbered Raleigh's scruffy chin, reminding him that he needed to shave.

"Yessir."

"Chuck, your boss, is coming in from a meeting. You might wanna go." came the advice.

"Yessir." He settled Max on the stairs, rubbed at his ears one more time and slipped out of the apartment to run into Mr. Hansen Jr. "Sorry."

"It's a Tuesday."

"Uhh, your... Dad? He told me to leave." Raleigh sidled out of the way, only to have Chuck snag his sweater's elbow. "You want me to stay? I am technically still on the clock."

"That'd be nice." The relieved look told Raleigh he'd made the right decision to turn around for Chuck Hansen.

"Yeah." He shuffled back into the apartment, scratched at Max's ears and peeled off his boots to set them into the baggie again. Raleigh hummed softly as he turned on the expresso machine, giving the gurgling machine a love tap as it refused to start.

Three cups came down as he steamed the milk and nudged Max away from the open cupboards with his socked foot. He made a winged rosetta for the older Hansen and a swallow for himself and Chuck. Raleigh sat with one foot tucked under him this time, playing with Max with his other one.

"How'd your meeting go, Chuck?" Hansen Sr. asked pointedly as Chuck inhaled the scent of the coffee with closed eyes.

"Shhh." Chuck held up a finger as he sat for a long moment in almost complete silence. "My cleaner knows my routine an' doesn't want to talk about the horrible meeting with Chau Industries right now."

"Lady Danger ripped the butt pocket off the pants of my mailman this morning. He has hearts on his boxers," Raleigh baldly stated, shaking his free foot to get Max to mouth at his sock.

Chuck cracked up laughing, peeking at him from behind calloused fingers to confirm it.

"Oh yeah. It actually happened." He continued after a sip of his coffee, "Lady's chased away more than one postman in her time. Thankfully this one doesn't seem to mind."

"Why?"

"She likes pockets," He shrugged. Frankly, he figured she liked stealing them. "and socks. Likes to stick her muzzle into them and warble to her heart's content."

"Husky-mix, right?" Chuck asked as Raleigh pulled out his phone.

"Uh-huh. Here we go. Isn't she great?" Raleigh grinned as he leaned into to show Chuck all the photos he has in his phone of her in silly poses. Chuck pulled out his own phone as they compared pics, foreheads touching as they smiled at thier dogs.

"Does she eat corn?" Chuck questioned.

Raleigh snorted, "Oh God no. Those doggie farts could kill all three of us. She gets Iams and the occasional strip of raw bacon but nothin' else. My brother and sister won't stand for it after the first corn-related incident. Plus they never let me live it down every time we have corn."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah." He swirled the contents of his coffee with a fond smile at the mention of his siblings. "'Sall in good fun though. They never go too far."

"What do they do?"

"Well, Jazzy's a fashion designer..." He gestured expansively, illustrating his sister's talent with cloth and Yancy's with computers. Raleigh frowned at his beeping timer and sighed softly. "Gotta go."

"Oh."

"See ya next Tuesday?" Raleigh poked his head into the squeaky clean apartment while keeping Max back with his boot tip.

"Of course."

Raleigh slid down the closed door, cursing the way his heart was pounding at the tentative smile shot his way.

* * *

Tuesday ended up being his favorite day of the week. He would dress with extra care and pick out his favorite sweater because sometimes Chuck looked like he wanted to touch it. Herc, Chuck's Dad, had led him to the door after their third meeting and gave Raleigh what he swore was a parental stare of doom.

Raleigh hummed quietly as he worked around a snoozing Max, pausing to scratch the bulldog behind the ears ocassionally. He vacuumed there when Max vacated that portion of the couch to crunch on the food coming from the precisely scheduled feeder. At four on the dot, Max sat in front of the door just before the steps that led into the apartment.

This time Chuck shuffled into the apartment soaking wet and his loafers squeaking with every step. He looked absolutely _miserable_.

"... Mr. Hansen?" Drip. Drip. Drip-Plop. Chuck sat down on the top of the steps leading into the great room. Raleigh carefully padded forward to peer at Chuck with a worried expression. "Chuck?"

"UN Inc. c'n rack off. Stuff it. Dad can meet with 'em if he wants the deal so damn much." Chuck growled as Raleigh offered a towel. "... Thanks." Raleigh plopped it on his head and scrubbed softly. Max tried to wriggle under Raleigh's arms to lick at Chuck's face but the expensive suit had probably had enough for the day.

"Max, pas maintenant*." Raleigh chided in French before switching back to English. "Go chew your bone." The bulldog whined but Raleigh held his gaze long enough that Max snuffled at the ground and walked towards his bone, claws clicking on the sleek tile.

"I'm starting to get to a point where I don't remember when we started all of this." Chuck murmured from under the towel.

"Three weeks after the scandal of the Kaiju Kleaners sleeping with each other in your bed and you asked me to stay." Raleigh responded as he pulled Chuck up and towards the massive bathtub, setting him on the closed toilet seat. "You wanna sit in the tub for a bit? I have to go pick up Lady from our dog sitter but—" 

"Bring her by," Chuck said, the towel hanging around shoulders that were no longer slumped. "Max could use the company and so could I."

"Alright. I gotta warn you that she is the kissing kind of pup."

* * *

Lady Danger wagged her tail as she entered the Shatterdome's model skyrise. Her claws clicked on the marble as she held her head high. The deep blue H harness read in white bolded letters: ESA Service Dog. 

"Pardon me," Raleigh turned at the familiar voice to see one Mako Mori scoot into the elevator with him and Lady.

"Ms. Mori?"

"Not-Oh. Mr. Becket." She looked relieved to see just him and Lady.

"Raleigh, please." He said as Lady Danger sat down with her paws neat and directly in front of Mako as the elevator moved up floors. No one bothered Mako or even looked at her as Lady stared them down long before they even took a breath to speak.

When the elevator dinged at the penthouse floor, Mako relaxed even further. Raleigh and Lady herded her into Chuck's apartment, Raleigh bagging his boots by habit as Lady Danger gently scraped her paws on the welcome mat. She'd always had that tick so he didn't expect Mako to laugh at it.

"Did she really...."

"The shelter had no clue who taught her but I think it's just a Lady thing."

"Is it just Lady?" Mako asked as she slipped on the navy house slippers tucked into the side-closet. 

"She's got a full name but I only use it when she's in trouble so Lady'll do." Raleigh chuckled as Lady sniffed at Max's butt and had to lay down so that Max could sniff hers as well. "C'mere girl." Lady padded over and sat in front of Raleigh so he could so their usual routine in a new place. "Best behavior, you hear me?"

Lady warbled softly and pressed her face into his chest, only her ears peeking out from over his shoulder.

"Good girl." Raleigh cooed as Chuck shuffled out in a t-shirt and sweats with damp hair that made Raleigh almost swallow his tongue. Chuck was solidly built with the muscles to prove a strenuous workout regime.

He resolutely ignored the voice that mentioned _**Chuck**_ looked like a good workout.

"This is your dog? She's huge." Chuck offered the flat of his hand and got it licked for his troubles. He just wiped it off on the ratty grey sweatpants with a fond smile at Lady.

"Husky-mixes usually are," Raleigh murmured as Max waddled straight over to Mako as Chuck shook his head.

"Traitor—Oh, hello." Lady was shoving Chuck toward the couch, her tail wagging full force. "What's she doin'?"

"I think, uh, I think I forgot to mention Lady's an emotional support dog. Mine, actually. So she's picking up on all of your stress and... doing her job." He scrubbed at the back of his neck as Lady hopped up on the freshly vacuumed couch to pillow herself on Chuck's lap. His boss's fingers gently scratched behind Lady's ears as he looked at Raleigh for an explanation. "... I have some problems."

"I'm not gonna go spare on you." Chuck huffed as he leaned back to accept more of Lady's weight. "We all have some, yours just needs a dog... Mine too, if you're nervous or whatever. Max's got a certificate and all."

"B'fore you ask, this is between me, you, Ms. Mori and the dogs," Raleigh murmured quietly as he grunted at Max's weight. "Your dog is so fat by the way. So fat."

"So's yours, _Rah_ leigh."

"You take that back."

"No take-backs in the penthouse suite."

* * *

Wrapping the gifts that Mako had chosen months in advance was a little strange. Tendo had moved him from the job a week back and handed it off to the Weis (who Raleigh adored and all, but that was _his_ spot dammit). He never saw Chuck on Tuesdays or any day, really.

Lady whined at him from her spot next to his yarn stash. Somehow Icebox had taken off like a bat outta hell so Raleigh was careful to wear a brace and stitch in intervals.

He was meeting Mako at the café with Lady, both of them old hat to the press by now. Raleigh strapped on Lady's harness and left his brace on as it helped his hand in the long run. 

What he didn't expect was Mako waiting with Herc. Raleigh's hand clenched in Lady's thick fur ruff as he paused just short of the pair. 

"Maks? Should I be worried?" He asked quietly as he sat down across from both of them and ordered a coffee. 

"Maybe. Chuck's moping." Herc snorted as Lady pressed close to Raleigh, smelling his discomfort. "Stares off into space, sighs at the dumbest stuff an' _you're_ the cause." 

Raleigh's mouth felt dry, like he'd swallowed cotton balls. "What?" He croaked out. 

Herc and Mako exchanged an expectant look at his question. 

"Chuck likes you," Mako spelled it out as Raleigh listened with wide eyes. "and I mean it. He talks the ears off the poor Weis about you. 'He's got the fluffiest hair and I want to run my hands through it. Max loves him and he hates everyone but us and Mako. Raleigh's so sincere and genuine and I haven't found anyone like that...' Tell me right now if you don't swing that way because I hate breaking bad news to my best friend." 

"I..." Raleigh looked down as he petted Lady, his fingers parting her dark fur aimlessly as he spoke. "I thought he didn't." 

"Listen, Raleigh. I love my kid but sometimes I don't know if he needs a hug or a kick in the arse." Herc murmured and Raleigh blushed at that. "You seem to get him."

"So what is this exactly?" He blurted out, rubbing at his nose with his free hand. 

"A push to date Chuck, if that's what you want. The party, the real one with just us and a few friends, is at eight tonight. Just bring yourself." Herc offered as he went back to poking at his phone. "Mako, anything to add?" 

"Raleigh, you slipped through armor as thick as the vault of Fort Knox. Don't shatter it from the inside." Mako added seriously. "I'd like to see both of you happy." 

"I'll... think about it." He sighed as he stirred his coffee. 

"That's all we ask." Mako reassured him with a pat to his hand.

* * *

The Eureka Bash was televised and featured a ball that made Chuck look very handsome. Raleigh watched it, noticing the second Chuck's patience had reached its limits. He walked directly over to Mako and stuck to her side for the rest of the ball. 

When seven rolled around, Raleigh was tossing sweater after sweater out of his pile and examining them. 

"Oh my God, Rals, _sit_." Raleigh and Lady unconsciously obeyed the command from Yancy. "Decide which color that idiot likes best." 

"Blue, green and brown." He knew the answer to **that** at least. 

"Good. The rest can go back." Yancy folded the remaining ones up and replaced them in the drawers. "Now, hold still and look at me, kiddo." His older brother smoothed his worries in one fell swoop as he critically eyed the clothes. "Ah. I'll be right back." 

Yancy walked out and came back with a deep blue sweater that Raleigh had never seen with a patch on the shoulder. 

"Where'd you get that from?" 

"It was Granpéré's. He met Mémé in it." Yancy teased gently as he tossed it at Raleigh. "Thought it might give you some luck with the Aussie." 

Raleigh caught it and set it on the bed as he hugged Yancy tightly. "You think I can make it work, Yan?" 

"Jazzy an' I think the world of you Rals. If he doesn't... He don't deserve you." Yancy murmured as he stroked through the fine hairs at the back of Raleigh's head. "He breaks your heart, I break him." 

"Yan!" He spluttered in protest. 

"Hey, Older Bro 101; threaten any and all significant others. There's a handbook and everything, Rals..." 

Raleigh didn't even feel sorry for cuffing and holding his brother in a light headlock for that comment.

* * *

The door opened before he even touched it, revealing the most mischevious of the Wei siblings; Jin. 

"He made it!" Jin yelled back into the apartment. 

"Jin..." Raleigh grumbled as Lady whined. 

"Is he?" Tendo poked his head out of the familiar door. "Lookin' good enough to eat, Becket boy." 

"Are all of you going to tease me to death?!" Raleigh hissed as he kicked off his boots and Lady wiped her paws. She loped towards the couch after Raleigh unclipped her leash. The floors were squeaky clean but Raleigh had missed the scrubbing and the surprising quiet of the apartment. 

"Lady? What-Oh." Chuck blushed at the sight of Raleigh. Well, one theory confirmed about Mako and Herc's assertion. "Hey." 

"Hi." Raleigh rubbed at the back of his neck as the apartment cleared of everyone but them at an alarming speed. "So... A little birdie told me you, uh, like me." 

"I'm gonna get Mako later," Chuck promised darkly as he stood still. Raleigh stepped forward until he was a hairsbreadth from touching Chuck. "After though." 

"And that depends on?" He asked, surprised at his own boldness. 

"Whether or not you'll kiss me." Chuck breathed out while he reached up to pull Raleigh down. His arms wrapped around Chuck, one hand settling on Chuck's hip and the other around Chuck's shoulders as their lips met again and again. Both of them pulled back to look the other in the eyes. 

Raleigh pressed his forehead against Chuck's as he whispered, "How the hell did I miss this?" 

"I, uh, I had Tendo remove you from the roster so I could date you." Chuck admitted as they swayed in place with both dogs at their feet. 

"Thought for a hot second that you didn't want me around but this is much better." He laughed as he stroked his thumb across Chuck's hipbone. 

"Yeah?" Chuck murmured as he caressed Raleigh's collar with his fingertips. 

"Oh yeah."

* * *

The media exploded into a frenzy when Raleigh and Chuck went out on a simple date to the museum with both their dogs in full gear. 

**MORI AND HANSEN OVER?! PARTNERSHIP BROKEN AFTER A DECADE!**

**BLOND HUNK AND CEO HANSEN SEEN TOGETHER**

**CELEBRITIES AND SERVICE DOGS; FAMOUS GIMMICK OR NOT?**

**HANSEN GAY? POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIPS OF THE PAST!**

Raleigh scrolled through his phone as he held hands with Chuck on the subway. Lady and Max were sitting next to them on the floor of the subway, Lady more alert than usual. 

"Look at the mess we caused for your poor PR team." He showed Chuck and his boyfriend only snorted. "What?" 

"My PR team has been _dying_ to pounce on something like this. Let them keep slinging headlines. Eureka has the best legal team around aside from Shatterdome." Chuck pointed out as he pillowed his head on Raleigh's shoulder. 

"Is that them?" 

"Think so." 

"Gossip rags are so rude. Poor Hansen." 

"Poor? You sure? He's got a hunk on his arm and two dogs. Guy's lucky as can be." 

"True." 

They shared a look that pulled up into a smile easily. 

"Guess everyone else could give a shit less," Raleigh snickered as they spent the rest of their ride like that. 

They strolled to Raleigh's favorite café, not expecting for Lady to start growling deep in her throat nor for _Max_ to do the same. Raleigh unclipped her leash and she bolted down the alley after someone with a camera. She tackled them, tugging on the pants until she ripped the pocket off. Lady trotted back with the pocket swinging merrily from her mouth like a fabric trophy. 

"Good girl." Raleigh knelt down and held out his hand for the pocket. "Release."

She whined and Raleigh gave her a look that had her relinquishing her prize. 

The person climbed the fence, leaving the busted camera behind.

* * *

Accusations flew left and right that Raleigh was this, Raleigh was that, Raleigh was a gold-digger—He watched with a bit of dark satisfaction as Chuck's legal team cracked down on the gossip mags and articles. 

"Dang Rals. I know he makes you happy but... This is ridiculous." Yancy sighed as he kicked his legs up on their coffee table. Raleigh swatted them down again, giving his brother a long stare at the dirty boots. "Oops. It's raining pretty badly. Jazzy's got Lady." 

"Yeah. Gold-digger is literally the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I know some people are like that but not me." He sighed as he turned the page of the engineering journal that had one of Chuck's articles in it. 

"I know. Hey, why don't you schedule an interview here? With Chuck." Yancy suggested as he peeled off his boots and wiped the mud away. 

"That's... actually not a bad idea. Chuck wasn't always a CEO and people need to remember that." Raleigh murmured. "Let me run it past him, okay?" 

"Sure, kiddo. You know Jazzy loves meeting new people." his brother nudged him and Raleigh companionably nudged back. It was enough that he had time with his siblings, especially since they were doing better than before. They sat in comfortable silence with Yancy getting up to make tea a couple of times as they hung out together. 

When Jazmine got back, they piled like they used to on the couch and Lady squished onto their laps. Raleigh handed the remote to Yancy as he settled into his spot in the middle. They channel-surfed until Jazzy made a noise that meant she wanted to watch the show. 

The food show had Raleigh leaning forward, his hands twitching for his notebook. Jazmine leaned over the arm of the couch and handed it to him wordlessly as he flipped it open to write out the tips. Furious scribbling joined the noise of the apartments around them as he concentrated. 

He sheepishly pulled back, fiddling with the pen as the show ended while Yancy flicked the channel to cute fuzzy kittens. 

"Rals?" Both siblings paused and turned to him as a single unit. 

"What if he doesn't like this part of me?" He asked as he took the pen apart and put it back together in a fit of nervous energy. "The not so pretty piece." 

"I still stand by my speech, Rals. My fist in his face if I so much as smell his rejection." Yancy growled. 

"I'll give him a scar he'll never forget." Jazzy murmured into the quiet of the apartment. 

"You two can simultaneously be the worst and best siblings in the world," he groaned as he let his head thump on the back of the couch. 

"A talent," Yancy snarked as he threw an arm around Raleigh's shoulder as Jazzy laced thier fingers together. "You gotta tell him at some point, kiddo. Not now but pretty damn soon." 

"I know."

* * *

"I know but I'm so screwed." Raleigh looked up at the mood lighting of Chuck's apartment. Max was snoozing away with Lady in a pile of doggie cuteness. He was gonna lose his nerve at this rate... 

"About what?" 

"Chuck, can we sit?" Raleigh paced the wide stretch near the pristine couch. Chuck sat down and waited for him to work up the courage. Well... Wasn't going to tell itself. "We've got some things to discuss." 

"Raleigh? You're scarin' me a little." 

"Sorry." He muttered as he sat down and pushed his hair out of his face. "I... I have a disorder." 

Chuck blinked at his blunt wording but made a noise of comprehension. "So do I." 

It was Raleigh's turn to be faintly surprised. He'd mentioned it in passing before they'd become a couple. "Really?" 

"Yeah. I've got PTSD. Recurring, before you ask. Once from the car crash that killed my Mum and once from serving in the RAAF." Chuck scooted closer to Raleigh, their thighs pressed together. "'Swhy I've got Max." 

"Oh." He reached for Chuck, tangling their fingers on reflex. "I've got Asperger's." 

"What is it?" 

"Something on the autism scale. It leaves me as a passing "normal" to most people. I'll swing from being as silent as a tree stump to talking your ear off in a matter of hours. My hands have to be occupied or I'll move the rest of me. I'll get overwhelmed and need a quiet space. Sometimes I need contact. I'll be ten, twenty steps ahead of everyone some days. I can be cruel but I never mean it. Mood swings are common and can switch so fast in mere minutes or days. It's hard..." Raleigh sighed quietly as he explained. "I was afraid of telling you this." 

"Raleigh, you..." He didn't expect Chuck to stroke his fingers down Raleigh's cheek with a wistful expression. "You're like someone molded sunshine into a human form, put here by some unknown deity. You work so hard you could be half of my shareholders. I always find you moving, swaying to a rhythm that no one else can hear. You've got a voice that would shame angels. I never even had an opinion on jumpers until now but on you... Fuckin' hell if it isn't the hottest thing I've seen in my life." 

"My sweaters? Really?" Raleigh cracked up at that last part. Chuck flushed a pretty pink but he kept his sincere gaze on Raleigh. 

"Damn straight." They held each other's gazes long enough to start laughing together. Yeah, this had gone much better than he expected.

* * *

That wasn't to say that they didn't have spats or fights. They just got resolved because Raleigh and Chuck learned to talk it out calmly after the fact. They drew up boundaries; Chuck's Mum, his relationship with Herc, Raleigh's Maman and his sperm donor. It was an unspoken rule that neither stooped to that level. 

Unfortunately... The universe had different plans about the last of those unspoken things.

* * *

Right in the middle of a very complicated stitch, the buzzer for their crappy apartment went off. Raleigh grumbled, finished his work and poked at the button far more aggressively than usual. 

"Becket residence. Is this a delivery?" 

"Raleigh?" He blanched at the sound of the voice coming through the tinny speakers. "Raleigh, is that you?" 

The one voice that he'd hoped to never hear again. Which meant that he wasn't dead; just dead to the remaining Beckets, especially Yancy and Raleigh. Jazzy hadn't understood but was glad they were together through the foster care system. 

"You have the wrong address." He turned the speaker off and dialed Yancy's number by heart. "Yan, did you lie to me about that pile of human excrement?" 

"He ended up surviving that poisoning and was in a rehab facility. I... I thought it best that he died for you and me and Jaz. Looks like it's coming to bite me in the ass." Yancy sighed over the phone. "Is he there?" 

"Yeah." Raleigh said thickly, unable to hide his anger from Yancy. "Fucker's standing right at the gate." 

"Call security." His brother said quietly but the way he said it meant that Yancy was well and truly _pissed off_. Yancy was a lot of things, quiet being one of them, but not like the calm, cold fury that welled up everytime that bastard was mentioned. "Call Chuck's security if you need to." 

"I'll try Chuck's first. You know he's dangerous." 

"The Kaidonovskies are more than a fair match, Rals. They'll get him." Yancy murmured with a dark satisfaction. 

"Sure will. Hey..." 

"Yeah?" 

"Thanks for not telling us. I mean, I don't think I could've handled him being around us after the fact. That why we moved so much?" Raleigh admitted before his nerves got the better of him. 

"After we left the system and got stable enough to get Jaz, yeah, part of it." 

"And?" 

"I wanted far away enough that he wouldn't–couldn't–pull the stunt he's pulling right now. Text Jazzy. Tell her to stay with her friends tonight. Stay safe, kiddo." Yancy hung up, leaving Raleigh to do what he needed to do. 

He texted Jaz, mentioned that something bad had come up and that she should probably stay away from the apartment for the time being. That earned him a phone call from Jazzy on her lunch break. 

"What the hell do you mean, stay away?"

"Jaz-" 

"Don't you Jazzy me, Raleigh. Tell me what the _hell_ is going on or I am coming over right now, classes be damned." She barked over the phone. Raleigh groaned softly as his head touched the wall. 

"Look, this is gonna sound so messed up. Our... donor is alive. He pulled out of the poisoning long enough to be pumped and sent to a rehab facility. He's here. In front of our place and I don't want him anywhere near you, especially not after what he put us through." He offered as an olive branch. All three Beckets had inherited Dominique's ferocious temper and her need to fix things. But this? 

There was no fixing this situation. 

"Well, damn." 

Perfectly summed up but still–"Language." 

"Rals, shut up. All three of us cuss like a sailor." 

"Sorry. Big brother habit." He scrubbed at the back of his neck and blew out a long breath. "Seriously, go stay with a friend. Use my card if you have to get anything." 

"I can live outta my bag for days, bro. I'll be fine. Call or text me when this blows over, okay? Tell me you'll be alright." He can picture her now, long black hair flowing over her shoulder as she leaned forward on the round tables of her school's cafeteria, green eyes as piercing as Maman's. 

"I'm trying to be Jaz, I'm trying really hard." Raleigh slid down the wall to curl around Lady. "Take care of yourself." 

"I will. Bye Rals. Good luck."

* * *

The Kaidonovskies, specifically Sasha with her iron grip, escorted Richard from the apartment area. Aleksis politely buzzed up and Raleigh let him in, not surprised when Lady herded him to the couch. 

"That man is not good for your health. You are grey and sadder than I have ever seen you," Aleksis murmured gently.

"He made me." Raleigh admitted as he curled his fingers into Lady's lush fur. 

Aleksis snorted dryly as he wrapped an arm around Raleigh, taking his weight easily as he leaned into the comforting hold. "He does not own your life, my friend. You are good, you are kind and you deserve the world." 

The soft laugh that bubbled up had him shaking his head. "Stealing words from my boyfriend's mouth, hmm?" 

"I mean them." Aleksis offered as Sasha entered the apartment, dusting both her hands off just outside the door. "Sasha my fierce one, what did you do?" 

"Scaled a light-pole and left him hanging on it." Sasha's blood-red lips curved into a wicked smile. 

"I... That's not technically illegal but it is questionable." Raleigh started laughing after he finished, the tears at the corners of his eyes ignored by both Kaidonovskies.

* * *

Chuck showed up an hour later, tie and hair ruffled to no end as he stepped through the door. He hugged Raleigh to him and looked him over with worry. 

"You okay?" 

"Not really," Raleigh admitted as he buried his face in the crook of Chuck's neck and shoulder. "Feel a bit better." 

"Yeah?" Chuck murmured softly as he swayed them back and forth. Raleigh's shoulders dropped even further and he nudged Chuck up against an apartment wall, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend as he just breathed. "Raleigh?" 

"Is this good? I wanna hold onto to you for a few minutes." He asked as he raised his head up to look Chuck in the eyes. 

"You're good." Chuck's tender look had Raleigh resuming his place and concentrating on calming down. Thick calloused fingers carded through his hair lightly, Chuck humming tunelessly as he held Raleigh. "Sasha, Aleksis, you did well. You're welcome to take your leave." 

"Call if you need us. I am more than willing to break bone for either of you." Sasha agreed but left a warm feeling in Raleigh's chest as she did so. The door clicked closed and Chuck sighed. 

"I got a... censored version of events from Aleksis. Is there anything I can do aside from this right here?" Chuck asked as he gently maneuvered them onto the couch with Chuck falling back so that Raleigh covered him. 

"This is what I need," The words were hard to say but he knew that it was true. "This right here. It's the fact that I have a life that I made by myself with my siblings and it isn't some horrible daydream. You're right here, you're real and... I need you with me." His insecurities welled up again, Chuck silencing them with a brush of his lips against Raleigh's forehead. 

"Then that's where I'll stay." Chuck stated before wiggling to get comfortable on the slashed, ratty couch. 

"I know you didn't get to see all that much of the place but..." 

"No, no. It's homey." Chuck offered as he peered at what he could see from his spot on the couch. "Feels like it's really lived in, y'know?" 

"I do." Raleigh's fascinated by the way Chuck fits here in the old apartment. Sunshine filtered through the crocheted curtains and splashed against Chuck's fond expression. 

He snickered briefly at the thought that took hold. 

"What?" 

"If Kaiju Kleaners had never messed up, would we be here now?" Raleigh asked quietly. 

"I set that bed on fire." Chuck grimaced but his face turned thoughtful. "But... I'm glad they did. You're the reason I don't sleep alone anymore." 

"What about–?" 

"Nah. Besides, I'm not the one she wants." Chuck rolled his eyes at the question. "She's dating an Olympic set of fencers from South Korea." 

"Oh." 

"You're a dork, _Rah_ leigh." The way Chuck drawled out his name had Raleigh settling his full weight on his boyfriend. 

"Sure am." 

"Love you anyway." Chuck tilted his head back to expose the long line of his throat. 

Raleigh's breath caught in his own throat but he leaned in just above Chuck's lips to whisper, "Love you too." 

Their kiss was slow, soft and left both of them staring at each other like saps. 

Bliss had never felt so wonderful in Raleigh's life but it was here in his arms in the form of one Chuck Hansen.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, complain, ect. 
> 
> *French: Max, not now. 
> 
> For those curious, Lady Danger's a Husky/Border Collie mix. She's very pretty.


End file.
